Cobb makes impact at Central

Saturday

Way before the COVID-19 pandemic began to spread around the United States, Salina Central senior Kadyn Cobb knew she wasn’t going to participate in track during the spring season.

The reason why? She suffered a season-ending injury on Jan. 25 while playing basketball in the Salina Invitational Tournament championship game against Liberal.

Even though she was out for the rest of the year, Cobb still wanting to be involved. Just two days after suffering her injury, Cobb was back around her teammates, trying to help them out as much as she can.

“The past three years, I was looking forward to being a senior and being a leader on the team, and I didn’t feel like just cause I was hurt that needed to go away,” Cobb said. “I continued to be there for everybody. I was super willing to be there and watch them.

“I love those girls.”

Prior to her season-ending injury, Cobb averaged 6.3 points, 4.5 rebounds, 2.6 assists and 1.3 steals. She was a second-team All-Ark Valley Chisholm Trail League D-I pick. Cobb finishes her career with the most assists in Central history, and is eighth on the all-time Central career list with 85 3s.

Cobb was looking forward to being around her track teammates after the basketball season, but on Mar. 18, spring sports in the state of Kansas were canceled.

“I really loved the environment of track and the social aspect of it,” Cobb said. “I wasn’t going to be able to run, so I feel a little less affected by the spring sports getting canceled. I’m really am sad for my friends that wanted to do it.

“I already had my moment of sadness.”

Beside basketball and track, Cobb was also active in cross country during the fall season.

During her four-year career at Central, she was able to go to state in every sport at least once.

“I’ve met so many people, and running especially, I’ve grown to love it, because of the people and my injuries,” Cobb said. “I think something that I’m grateful for about my two knee injuries is that it’s made me so appreciative of being active and loving your sport and playing it as hard as you can all the time. Obviously, it would have been great to never have this happen, but I think I’m way more resilient and a better person for it.”

Central girls basketball coach Chris Fear was able to see Cobb progress as an athlete all four years. Cobb was thrown right into the mix as a freshman on the basketball court on a team that finished fourth in Class 5A in 2017.

After her freshman year, she suffered another injury that forced her to miss her sophomore year of cross country and the first six games of her basketball season.

Fear continued to see Cobb’s hard work and dedication continue to pay off and being able to bounce back after an injury.

“These last two years, just a progression of her whole game in terms of going from a shooter initially, to this year and even last year, being our best passer and developing into our best defender,” Fear said. “I think the biggest thing was the progression of her leadership. She wanted to be a leader (and) she worked at it, and she became one of the best ones that I’ve had. It’s been really cool (and) she got better every year, because she put in the time to do that.

“She wants to make a difference. There’s not a lot of young people that’s a priority for them. Sometimes it comes later, sometimes it never comes. For her, that’s something that’s important to her. I think that comes from her upbringing as well, but the credit goes to her of being diligent about others being really important to her.”

Cobb had surgery on Feb. 11 and is currently rehabbing before she departs Salina where she’ll continue her basketball career at Missouri Western in St. Joseph, Missouri.

Cobb is waiting for the day that she gets cleared to return to the court.

“I’m super excited,” Cobb said. “Just like my last ACL, it made me more grateful. It’s made the buildup greater than if I hadn’t gotten hurt.Even this, the COVID-19 pandemic has gotten me more excited to get out of the house.”

Cobb will have the opportunity to play in one of the powerhouse Division II conferences in the MIAA, and will also get to play close to Salina four times a year.

“She’s worked really hard for this opportunity,” Fear said. “I know when she gets there, that’s exactly what she’s going to do. She’s going to put the time in (and) be able to play at a high level.

“She’s not going to take it for granted, she’s going to make the most of her opportunity.”

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